News
Early morning accident claims two lives in Lagos
Two people have been confirmed dead in an accident that happened in the early hours of Thursday in Lagos.
According to a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the accident occurred at Cele Bus Stop, inward Mile 2.
Oke-Osanyitolu said the incident involved two 40-foot containerised trucks with unknown registration numbers.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the containerised trucks rammed into another stationary 40-foot containerised truck from behind due to excessive speed,” Oke-Osanyitolu said.
He explained further that the impact of the collision resulted in the driver of the moving truck and his motor boy being trapped inside the truck cabin, and ”despite ongoing rescue and recovery efforts, both victims were confirmed dead at the scene.”
Recovery operations were underway at the time of writing this report, including the evacuation of the affected trucks and the commodities to restore normal traffic flow.
LASEMA stated further that traffic management and control measures had also been implemented to forestall any secondary incidents.
“LASEMA is working in collaboration with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the safe and orderly management of the situation.
“Motorists are advised to exercise patience and comply with traffic directives while clearance operations continue,” the statement further stated.
Edo State Government has established a Special Criminal Court to expedite the prosecution of cultists, kidnappers and other criminal offenders as part of efforts to tackle rising insecurity in the state.
The Chief Registrar of the Edo State Judiciary, Benson Osawaru, disclosed on Friday that the court was established at the request of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
According to Osawaru, the Special Criminal Court will handle cases relating to cultism, kidnapping and other matters that may be assigned by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Daniel Okungbowa.
He said the initiative was aimed at ensuring speedy dispensation of justice and curbing the growing wave of cult-related violence and abductions across the state.
“The move is expected to address the rising cases of cult-related violence and kidnappings by ensuring quick prosecution of offenders and serving as a deterrent to criminal elements,” Osawaru stated.
Edo State has in recent months witnessed a surge in violent crimes, particularly incidents of kidnapping and cult clashes in several communities.
Meanwhile, Governor Okpebholo has reiterated his administration’s commitment to eliminating kidnapping, banditry and other forms of criminality from the state.
Speaking at the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) local government election campaign for the Edo Central Senatorial District at the Uromi Town Hall in the Esan North-East Local Government Area, the governor assured residents that decisive measures were being taken to restore security and public confidence.
He said efforts were underway to create a safe environment that would enable farmers displaced by insecurity to return to their farmlands without fear.
The governor stressed that criminal elements terrorising communities would be made to face the full weight of the law.
“Governors are ready to fight insecurity across the nation. The perpetrators will be exposed, and they will run away from the country. In Edo State, there will be security, and our farmers will be able to return to their farms,” he said.
Okpebholo added that his administration would not allow kidnappers and bandits to find refuge in the state.
“I am determined to ensure that kidnappers and bandits do not find a haven in Edo State. Our decisive action against criminals will serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.
The governor further declared that tough measures against convicted criminals would discourage others from engaging in crime.
“I am serious about the fight against insecurity. By the time we execute one, two, three and more of these criminals, others will run away from Edo State,” he stated.
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has identified some of the reasons for the incidences of insecurity and out-of-school crisis in the northern part of Nigeria.
Speaking at a Summit on enhancing human capital development in Northern Nigeria in Abuja, Sule said the Almajiri system is “the single largest structural contributor” to Nigeria’s education emergency.
The Almajiri is a traditional system of Islamic education prevalent in northern Nigeria, where young boys leave their families to study the Quran under the guidance of religious teachers (Mallams). Originally a respected scholarship tradition, it has devolved into a socio-economic crisis, leaving millions of out-of-school children vulnerable to destitution and exploitation.
The country has an estimated 18.3 million out-of-school children, and recent data shows Almajiri children make up roughly 72% to 81% of that total, concentrated in the North.
He, therefore, urged the National Assembly to permanently outlaw the Almajiri system.
“Many minors recruited into banditry graduated from the Almajiri system,” Sule said.
Nasarawa accounts for about 430,000 out-of-school children.
At the event, the governor recalled the 2020 mass repatriation of Almajiri children by Nasarawa and Kaduna states but said enforcement alone isn’t enough without alternatives.
He is proposing a total ban on the Almajiri system, replaced with mandatory formal education and skills acquisition.
Sule is seeking total collaboration of the Northern intelligentsia, the political class, and the traditional system.
He urged Northern leaders to turn summit discussions into actionable draft bills, arguing that “policy changes are the only way to defeat regional poverty.”
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